2023 Israel–Lebanon border clashes

2023 Israel–Lebanon border clashes
On 8 October 2023, Lebanese militant group Hezbollah launched guided rockets and artillery shells at Israeli-occupied positions in Shebaa Farms during the 2023 Israel–Hamas war. Israel retaliated with drone strikes and artillery fire on Hezbollah positions near the Golan Heights–Lebanon border. The attacks came after Hezbollah expressed support and praise for the Hamas attacks on Israel. The clashes have been the largest escalation between the two countries since the 2006 Lebanon War.
Events
8 October
In the morning, Hezbollah fired rockets and shells at the Shebaa Farms region; in response, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) fired artillery shells and a drone into southern Lebanon. Two Lebanese children were reportedly injured by broken glass.
9 October
Israel exchanged a series of airstrikes on Southern Lebanon near the towns of Marwahin, Ayta ash Shab and Dhayra in the Bint Jbeil district. This was after numerous Palestinian militants infiltrated the Israeli border. The IDF killed at least two perpetrators (likely Palestinians), while a third returned to Lebanon. A Hezbollah media source announced that one of their members died in the IDF retaliation. Hezbollah denied involvement in the incident, and the Palestinian Islamic Jihad militia claimed responsibility for the armed infiltration. Hezbollah later announced the death of two other militants at night. Hezbollah fired rockets and artillery in retaliation. During the clashes, two Israeli soldiers and Lt. Col Alim Abdallah Deputy Commander of Israel's 300th Brigade, died by wounds inflicted by enemy fire on the border, other three wounded
10 October
Hezbollah and the IDF exchanged fire, with Hezbollah firing a salvo of rockets into Israel and an attack on the security forces brought out by the Palestinian factions. Hezbollah fired an anti-tank guided missile at an Israeli military vehicle in the Avivim area, prompting a retaliatory Israeli helicopter strike.
11 October
Hezbollah fired anti-tank missiles at an Israeli military position and claimed to have produced casualties. In response, the IDF shelled the area where the attack was launched. The Lebanese-Italian hospital in Tyre admitted three injured civilians. The IDF ordered residents of northern Israel to seek shelter following reports of drones being launched from southern Lebanon. A Patriot missile was launched to intercept a suspicious projectile, after which the IDF found that the object in question was not a drone. Warning sirens were activated across northern Israel after reports emerged that up to 20 infiltrators on paragliders had entered Israeli territory from Lebanon, before the IDF dismissed the report as a false alarm.
12 October
The Israeli Defence Ministry announced that one soldier was killed and another injured by an anti-tank missile fired by Hezbollah.
13 October
Hezbollah deputy chief Sheikh Naim Qassem said that 'when time comes for any action, we will carry it out' stating that Hezbollah was ready and 'would "contribute" to confrontations against Israel according to its own plan'. The IDF fired artillery into southern Lebanon following an explosion that caused minor damage to a section of the Israel–Lebanon border wall near the kibbutz of Hanita. Lebanese Reuters video journalist, Issam Abdallah, was killed, while at least six other journalists from Reuters, AFP and Al Jazeera were injured. The Lebanese Army said that two others were injured during the strike.
14 October
The IDF released footage of a drone attack which, according to them, killed three infiltrators from Lebanon near Margaliot who were members of Hamas. One of them was acknowledged by Hezbollah as one of their members. In the afternoon, Hezbollah fired 50 mortar shells and 6 anti-tank missiles towards five Israeli outposts in the Shebaa Farms. Further IDF shelling killed 2 civilians in a Shebaa village; video and photographic evidence showed usage of phosphorus bombs.
15 October
Hezbollah launched five anti-tank missiles towards northern Israel killing one civilian and injuring 3 others in Shtula. UNIFIL said that their headquarters in Naqoura in southern Lebanon was hit by rocket fire with no casualties reported. Lieutenant Amitai Granot, commander of the 75th Battalion of the IDF's Golan Brigade and son of Rabbi Tamir Granot, was killed in a missile attack on an IDF post bordering Lebanon.
16 October
The IDF announced the evacuation of residents of settlements two kilometers away from the Lebanese border. In the afternoon, shots were fired towards IDF positions near the border which Hezbollah claimed responsibility for. The IDF responded with artillery fire. Hezbollah said that it had started destroying surveillance cameras on several Israeli Army posts.
In the evening, anti-tank missiles were fired at an IDF tank and gunshots were aimed towards multiple army positions. The IDF attacked the sources of the fire with artillery. There were no reported casualties in either exchanges on that day.
Amnesty International reported that the IDF fired white phosphorus shells into Dhayra, hospitalizing nine civilians and setting fire to civilian objects. Aya Majzoub, the Deputy Regional Director for the Middle East and North Africa at Amnesty International, described the attack as a violation of international law that needed to be investigated as a war crime, and that it "seriously endangered the lives of civilians, many of whom were hospitalized and displaced, and whose homes and cars caught fire."
17 October
Lebanese state media reported that Dhayra and other areas along the western section of the border came under "continuous" bombardment overnight. In the early morning it was reported that multiple people were suffering from symptoms of suffocation after the IDF allegedly fired white phosphorus shells on the village. Three people were injured after an anti-tank missile from Lebanon landed in the Israeli town of Metula.
The IDF said it had killed four would-be infiltrators along the Lebanese border as they attempted to plant bombs on the border wall. Hezbollah announced that five of its members were killed that day but it was unclear if any had involvement in the border infiltration.
18 October
After the Al-Ahli Arab Hospital explosion, pro-Palestinian protestors took part in riots in the towns of Dbayeh and Aoukar. Businesses were vandalized and torched.
19 October
Dozens of rockets were fired at the northern Israeli cities of Nahariya and Kiryat Shmona from southern Lebanon, injuring at least three civilians. Hamas said its cells in Lebanon were responsible for the rocket attacks. Israel responded with airstrikes on Hezbollah positions.
The Lebanese army said that one was killed and another injured after a group of seven Iranian journalists were targeted with machine guns by Israel, although Iranian state media denied the claim and said that all its journalists were "alive and healthy". UNIFIL peacekeepers said that one person was killed after civilians were caught in a cross-fire at the border in which the Lebanese Army requested assistance by UNIFL to deescalate the situation. It was requested to Israel to suspend fire "to facilitate the rescue operation".
20 October
At noon, the IDF said that one of their aircraft killed three Hezbollah militants who infiltrated the border into Shtula. In the afternoon several projectile launches were carried out from Lebanon towards northern Israel, the IDF responded with artillery fire at the sources of the attacks. The IDF announced that an Israeli-American reserve soldier was killed and three others were wounded.
21 October
In the early afternoon, a number of rockets were fired from Lebanon toward the Shebaa Farms; there were no injuries. The IDF conducted a drone strike on the team of militants that launched the rockets.
A short while later, anti-tank guided missiles were fired from Lebanon toward Margaliot and Hanita; two foreign workers were injured. The IDF conducted airstrikes against the missile teams.
In the evening, another anti-tank guided missile was fired from Lebanon toward Bar'am. One IDF soldier was seriously injured and two others were lightly injured. The IDF responded with several airstrikes in southern Lebanon, some of which targeted other missile teams preparing attacks.
22 October
According to IDF, in the late morning, an anti-tank guided missile was fired from Lebanon toward the Shebaa Farms. The IDF responded with tank fire and killed the missile team.
In the early afternoon, several mortars were fired toward Yiftah; no damage or casualties were reported. In the evening, an anti-tank guided missile was fired toward Arab al-Aramshe; the IDF responded with continued airstrikes against missile launching teams. Seven teams in total were struck over the course of the day.
23 October
After a day of IDF strikes against Hezbollah missile teams, in the evening an anti-tank guided missile was fired toward Kiryat Shmona. Two were injured, and a house was damaged. The IDF responded with continued airstrikes against missile and rocket teams, along with strikes against Hezbollah border posts.
24 October
The IDF said a Hezbollah member was killed as he tried to fire at Israel from southern Lebanon near the border town of Bar'am.
25 October
In the morning, the IDF attacked a group of militants trying to fire anti-tank missiles from Lebanon into Israel. At around 16:00, 4 rockets were launched towards Israeli territory, which fell in open areas. IDF warplanes bombed the outskirts of the villages of Kafr Kila, Yaroun and Deir Mimas.
26 October
27 October
The IDF attacked the sources of rocket fire after militants fired towards IDF posts in the villages of Avivim and Misgav Am. A Lebanese Army convoy came under fire from Israeli forces in the border village of Aitaroun, but no casualties were reported
28 October
A shell hit the UNIFIL headquarters in Naqoura. Hours later two mortar shells hit a UNIFL base in Hula, injuring a Nepalese peacekeeper.
29 October
Al-Qassam brigades launched 16 rockets at Kiriyat Shimona, hitting a residential building.
Hebollah shot down an Israeli drone with a surface-to-air missile.
30 October
PIJ militants attempted to infiltrate IDF positions on the Lebanon border.
Syrian Arab Army unit fired rockets towards Israel.
31 October
Hezbollah conducted 4 attacks on IDF positions in Northern Lebanon.
Reactions
As a result of the fighting, Swiss International Air Lines and Lufthansa suspended flights to Beirut, while Lebanon's flag carrier Middle East Airlines relocated five of its 24 aircraft to Istanbul as a precaution. Australia, Canada, France, Germany, Spain and the United Kingdom advised against travelling to Lebanon, while the British embassy withdrew family members of its staff.
See also
List of projectile attacks from Lebanon on Israel and the Golan Heights
Outline of the 2023 Israel–Hamas war
References
2023 in international relations
Lebanon border clashes
October 2023 events in Lebanon
Battles during the 2023 Israel–Hamas war
Hezbollah–Israel conflict
Battles involving Hezbollah
Hamas attacks
Hezbollah attacks
Islamic Jihad Movement in Palestine attacks
Cross-border operations
Golan Heights